Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Tigers Host Penn in Regular Season Finale
November 02, 2006 | Field Hockey
Penn at Princeton
GAMETIME: Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
SITE: Class of '52 Stadium (Princeton, N.J.)
RECORDS: Princeton (10-6, 6-0 Ivy); Penn (9-7, 4-2 Ivy)
SERIES RECORD: Series tied 15-15-3; Princeton is 7-5-2 at home
LAST MEETING: Princeton won 2-1 on Nov. 4, 2005 in Philadelphia
STREAK: Princeton won the last game
The Ivy League champion Princeton field hockey team will look for its fourth-straight win when it hosts Penn on Friday night at 7 p.m., in its regular-season finale.
The game will mark the final home games for senior goalkeepers Allison Nemeth and Juliana Simon and senior assistant coach Nate Franks. The pair of goalkeepers has backstopped the Tigers to a 38-31 record in four seasons and has helped Princeton to three Ivy League titles in that span. Nemeth was 31-19 with nine shutouts. She has a career goals-against average of 1.70 and a career save percentage of .730. Simon's career record stands at 7-12 with one shutout. She has a 2.03 career goals against and a .616 career save percentage. Franks has served the Tigers first as a manager and second as a student assistant coach. Franks, who considers himself a player before a coach, trained with the U.S. National Team four years ago, and was an accomplished club player for the Washington Mavericks, Baltimorons, and New Jersey Spirit.
Princeton clinched the Ivy League title two weeks ago when it defeated Harvard 3-1 at Class if '52 Stadium to run its league record to 6-0. Penn currently sits second with a 4-2 record and is mathematically unable to reach Princeton with just one game remaining.
The Tigers' season will continue past the weekend at the NCAA tournament next weekend. Princeton's opponent, time and location will be announced on Tuesday night when the NCAA announces the tournament field at 7 p.m.
But before the Tigers worry about that, the team has Friday's game against Penn on the schedule. The Tigers enter the game looking for their second-straight perfect Ivy season. Going back the Tigers have won 13 league games in a row, dating back to a loss to Penn to close the 2004 season.
Princeton enters the game having won its last three outings. Princeton defeated Harvard 3-1 two Saturdays ago, then edged 19th-ranked American 1-0 for its second win over a ranked opponent. Last weekend the Tigers made it three wins in a row when they blanked Rutgers 3-0 on goals from sophomores Holly McGarvie, Sarah Reinprecht and Kristin Schwab. Senior goalkeepers Allison Nemeth and Juliana Simon combined to make three saves for the shutout.
McGarvie's goal was her team-leading eighth of the season and she was named to the Ivy League Honor Roll after her game-winning goal versus Rutgers.
The Tigers will look to extend their win streak on Friday night under the lights against Penn. The teams are 15-15-3 all-time against one another with Princeton holding a 7-5-2 series edge on its home field. Princeton won last year's game by a 2-1 score at Franklin Field as then seniors Lauren Ehrlichman and Hillary Schmidt scored in a come-from-behind win. Nemeth made two saves for the win. Penn won the last game played between the two teams in Princeton.
Penn enters the weekend 9-7 overall and 4-2 in the league and has won its last six games. The Quakers enter the weekend having won their last two league games, edging Brown and Yale in the previous weeks. In addition to the six league opponents, Princeton and Penn have also faced both Penn State and Rutgers. Both teams defeated Rutgers, but lost to Penn State.
Princeton closes out its regular season next Friday night when it hosts Penn at 7 p.m.